'Suicide Squad' Director Agrees Joker Should Have Been the Villain

Suicide Squad made a lot of money despite the general consensus among critics that the film was a mess. Now several months later, director David Ayer is willing to admit the film was "controversial" and actually sides with the detractors on a couple issues, including a major one involving the film's main villain and how it wasn't the Joker.

Ayer still seems happy with the film, to be sure, and it sounds like it's been tough seeing his passion project "ripped to shreds" in the newspapers. But he also agrees that yes, the film should have had more Joker in it. A major criticism of the film (and part of our own review) was how Joker, despite having his "damaged" face all over the posters and trailers, was hardly ever onscreen while Cara Delevingne's rather bland Enchantress became the real villain. Here's his full statement, which he made over Twitter:

The relevant part of his statement is toward the bottom, where he acknowledges the glorified cameo that was Joker and wishes the story had been workshopped more. He says he's learned from his mistakes, which could be great news for his next Harley Quinn film, Gotham City Sirens. And also, he promises there's no hidden Joker scenes, dismissing Leto's claim that there are totally deleted Joker scenes.

Wish I had a time machine. I'd make Joker the main villain and engineer a more grounded story. I have to take the good and bad and learn from it. I love making movies and I love DC. I'm a High School dropout who used to paint houses for a living. I'm lucky to have the job I have. I have to give the characters the stories and plots they deserve next time. Real talk. (And no, there isn't a secret edit of the film with a bunch of Joker scenes hidden in a salt mine somewhere.)

Whether Joker would have truly made the film better depends on how much you liked Leto's performance. But a more grounded story would have absolutely helped, considering the film starred several unpowered Batman villains and was supposed to be full of political intrigue. A street level gangster like Leto's Joker would have fit that tone much better than an ancient witch-goddess.